Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Ford to avail the Auto Start-Stop option in upcoming 2013 Fusion at an additional cost of $295

The leading American car maker, Ford is looking forward to introduce a new fuel saving feature in its anticipated sedan, the 2013 Fusion. This feature is said to save fuel of around $1,100 in five years, but for this the buyer will have to pay additional amount of $295.

It is the Auto Start-Stop feature available at the additional cost that turns off the engine when the vehicle is not moving, e.g. on the traffic signals, and it starts the vehicle when the driver takes his foot off the brake pedal. All the hybrid car enthusiasts must be aware about this feature which is available in current luxury cars like BMW Z4, Porchse Panamera etc.

Even the other low priced international car makers like Smart and Mazda also offer this feature, but this technology has not yet introduced on the US shores as the EPA fuel economy testing process normally does not consider these refinements due to some marketing prospects. The company states that the Auto Start-Stop features would improve the fuel efficiency of Fusion’s 1.6 liter turbo-charged 4-cylinder inline by 3.5 – 10 percent.

It is expected that this 1.6 liter in-lined Fusion is speculated to deliver fuel efficiency of around 37 mpg on highways, however, the company has not revealed any official details about it. It can certainly be expected that the car maker might plan to introduce such cars in the Indian markets too where the fuel prices are mounting like anything.